This book provides us with a brief glimpse of a bygone era of steam operations, on both regular services and special workings, in and around the Greater Melbourne Region. During this era steam was still the major power, however diesels were beginning to make inroads to their dominance.

The suburban part of the railway system was electrified, but the outer reaches of the service were steam operated. The railways network in Victoria radiates out from the city area, from Spencer Street and Flinders Street stations and their adjacent yards, to journey out through the suburbs. These tracks often formed the trunk routes to rural Victoria.